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Being associated with the Washington Commanders may not have been solid and upstanding enough for a beer company.
Anheuser-Busch, a longtime sponsor of the NFL and a partner with 26 other teams, discontinued its relationship with Washington “at this time,” a spokesperson told the Washington Post.
It is unclear if the allegations around Daniel Snyder prompted the split. The team’s owner is facing a new round of sexual harassment allegations, launched two months ago, and the NFL and Congress are investigating.
“We remain fully committed to Washington football fans, and we look forward to continuing our long-term partnership with the NFL and our other 26 team partners to create meaningful experiences and connections for fans across the country,” the spokesperson told the newspaper.
The team responded by spinning the development as an opportunity.
“We’re exploring options in the alcohol category and looking for a strategic partner that will join us in the next era of Washington Football, as we play our first season as the Washington Commanders and prepare to develop a new venue,” a team spokesperson said in a statement to ESPN
. “The team believes there is tremendous upside in the alcohol sponsorship category for the Commanders.”
Anheuser-Busch is the third known sponsor to cut ties with Washington in the past year. Medliminal, a medical bill service based in Northern Virginia, pulled out of its deal with the Commanders in February saying it is “sincerely disappointed” in the franchise’s sexual misconduct scandal. Inova, a health care provider based in Northern Virginia, left the Commanders in April 2021 while saying it has “revisited its strategic priorities.”
Medliminal’s statement was made to Boycott Dan, a fan-created website that urges Commanders sponsors to cut ties with the organization.
Washington was already fined $10 million last year after a year-long investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson found violations, but the review – conducted amid multiple public sexual harassment allegations by members of the organization – was never publicly revealed.
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform launched a separate investigation in October 2021. In a February session, a former cheerleader and marketing manager for the team said Snyder put his hand on her leg under the table during a dinner, and then tried to steer her into his limousine. The NFL is investigating.
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